By Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
Four candidates in race for three board seats
The school district’s $19 million 2009-2010 budget will be in voters’ hands Tuesday, as will the selection of three people to serve three-year terms on the Board of Education.
Polling for the annual school elections will take place from 2 to 9 p.m. at Alexander Batcho Intermediate School and Weston Elementary School.
The $19,019,248 budget does not cut any programs or staff members, it’s a 1.16 percent increase over last year’s $18,799,848 budget.
The amount to be raised by local property taxes increases from $12,148,455 to $12,559,467, a difference of $411,012 or 3.27 percent.
A state funding increase, which added $256,318 in aid money for a total of $5,382,686 in state funds, was combined with $100,000 from the district’s surplus to directly reduce the tax levy, district Superintendent Donald Burkhardt said.
Under the 2009-2010 budget, a taxpayer with a property assessed at the borough average of $300,000 would see a $96 increase in the school portion of this year’s property tax bill, raising it from $3,165 to $3,261. The tax rate would rise 3.2 cents, from $1.055 to $1.087.
Residents Sharon Lukac, Ned Panfile, Cathy Wiedwald and Andrew Zangara filed for the three seats currently held by Herman Brunn, Mr. Panfile and Mr. Zangara.
Residents who are unable to get to the polls Tuesday may apply for absentee ballots at the county clerk’s office, at 20 Grove St., Somerville, by 3 p.m. Monday. The Board of Elections must receive the absentee ballots by 9 a.m. Tuesday.

